As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Examples of portable information handling systems include notebook computers. These portable electronic devices are typically powered by rechargeable battery pack systems such as lithium ion (“Li-ion”) or nickel metal hydride (“NiMH”) battery packs. Notebook computers are often used with external AC power supplied by an AC adapter. Some central processing units (CPUs) now employed in notebook computers have high performance modes (e.g., Intel “Turbo-boost” mode) that allow the CPU to boost its power above the thermal design power (TDP) for a short period of time (e.g., from tens of milli-seconds to tens of seconds), causing system power requirements to exceed the AC adapter power rating for the notebook computer when certain high intensity processing conditions exist. This allows use of smaller capacity AC adapters sized only for total system loads that include CPU power modes that do not exceed the TDP. To address the need for additional system power beyond the AC adapter power rating during high intensity processing by the CPU, notebook battery packs have been employed to provide additional power when needed to supplement the AC adapter. “Supplemental power” (or “hybrid power”) are terms used to describe the usage of a notebook battery pack as a supplemental energy source for the system when the system power requirements exceed the AC adapter power rating. The conventional approach is to implement this supplemental power in a manner that assumes that this battery-supplied power source of the battery pack is always available, and thus it can be tapped for use as supplemental power until the notebook battery pack is drained down to a substantially discharged state. Controllers are commercially available that implement conventional supplemental power or hybrid power modes for notebook computers.
Conventional supplemental and hybrid power modes tend to increase battery usage cycle count, reducing battery pack life over a period of time. Additionally, cross conduction needs to be monitored accurately in the battery pack firmware and system so that the battery pack is not shut down when reversing current. Moreover, it is possible that battery pack charge level may be reduced, or substantially drained, by a supplemental or hybrid power mode even though the notebook computer has been provided continuously with power from an AC adapter. This is undesirable from a user experience point of view.